Are You A Spiritual Introvert?

I’ve written before about introverts in the church. And I’ve talked about how spirituality is closely tied to being highly sensitive. But I haven’t really taken the time to ask all the innies in this ever-growing online community: do you consider yourself spiritual?

The reason I’ve decided to ask now is because I noticed that many introverts have some sort of spiritual practice that they do on a regular basis. I’m not just talking about prayer, or going to church. A lot of introverts are more “New Age” with their spiritual beliefs – you know Law of Attraction, Eckhart Tolle, meditation, mindfulness, chakras – that sort of stuff.

This makes sense since most introverts are introspective. The act of looking inward is closely tied to the search for meaning in life.

I haven’t talked a lot on this introvert blog about my spiritual beliefs, because well, I was afraid that you’d think I’m strange. But I think we’ve already established that I’m a weirdo, so I might as well come out of the closet about my spiritual beliefs.

I definitely fall into the New Age camp when it comes to my spiritual beliefs and practices. I live life intuitively, and use meditation, affirmations, and the Law of Attraction to guide me. In my world, anything is possible.

As an introvert, I find it difficult to express my beliefs to others. Perhaps you have felt the same way. It’s not in our nature to go around telling everyone we meet about or personal beliefs. Heck, there are people I’ve known for years who know nothing about my spiritual side.

So, what I’d really like to know is, are you a spiritual introvert?

Do you consider yourself New Age, or more traditional with your spiritual beliefs?

56 Comments

AtTheFringe
on July 9, 2014 at 7:23 am

Yes, I’m very spiritual, not religious. I don’t follow any religion. I guess I’m more New Age than traditional. Nature is more my Church than the actual church. Religion seems to me to be more of a social occasion, and I can’t hear God speaking to me, when the priest is talking over Him/Her. I’ve felt that spirituality is more meaningful to me when it’s private, from my heart to Gods heart, and Gods heart to mine, so to speak.
I don’t talk a lot about my beliefs, only to those few whom I can trust to respect my beliefs even if they don’t agree with them. I’ve managed to surround myself with people who are not spiritual, nor respect those who are. And as a true introvert I avoid unnecessary conflict whenever I can. 🙂

I consider myself to be a spiritual introvert. I too an drawn to “New Age” ideas, like crystals, magic, yin/yang, goddesses and gods. Buddha and the Dalai Lama, Karma. I don’t have a “spiritual”label because I simply don’t need one, don’t want one. I am a fellow weirdo.

Yes, I am spiritual. I’m more “traditional” but not traditional meaning, I don’t attend church but I believe in, pray to, surrender to Jesus Christ. But my relationship with him is very intimate and I just don’t feel the need to broadcast it. That’s not to say I’m ashamed or denying him or anything of the sort. I just don’t have to be one of those religious people who are constantly speaking in “church speak”. lol

What I believe is often classified as Christian, but I don’t like the stipulations that come with claiming that lately. My beliefs don’t line up perfectly with what most people think of when they think about Christians. I llove and follow Jesus as best I can. My relationship with God has gotten me through more than I could even begin to express. I don’t really have a hard time talking about it, simply because it’s such a big part of my own personal life that there’s no way it could stay there. On the same hand, I don’t force it on people. The principle I live by just naturally overflow into everything I do and every conversation I have.

I think that we cannot be overly concerned if our thoughts do not line up with what other people think Christians should be. The main thing Is to lineup our spirit with the Source of all things. Then we will Know.

Hi Ryan – Conaiatulgtrons on the baby! Whenever I hear folks who have children describe their lives I begin to feel guilty about complaining about being busy.Sneaking a little reading in here and there can be fun!

Erin, I am like you and .I have my own version of christianity and read my bible daily to try and find answers.i also cannot not speak about it when the occassion warrants it ,but i know we all have to follow our own path and you cannot force people to think a certain way .my faith has also helped me a lot in very difficult situations.i would say i am a believer .I love the way you say it “naturally overflows into everything” it really struck a chord .I don’t condemn people for not being spiritual because ,i know they can no more believe than i could not believe.i hope that makes some sense.

I was considered a Christian, and I served as senior Deacon at a rural Baptist church. but I have learned through bitter experience, that there are those whom God never wanted. I am isolated by family, my friends are all dead from battle, motorcycle accidents, or suicide. Civilian life is empty. I feel as though God has rejected me, so I live with my only friend in the world, my wife. We live in the sticks, because society is toxic. I guess the Calvinists were right…not everyone was called.

I am a Christian, a member of The Salvation Army. My faith, however, is a personal one, not a matter of following a set of rules but on a life centred on a knowledge of my creator. It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship.

I am definitely more new age. Its my belief that GOD can be found any where not just in a structure called a church. I firmly believe that life is about becoming more loving, forgiving, patient, creative etc. When good behavior is not coming from the “heart” and is just obedience to doctrine then it is just a facade to impress people and manipulate God which cannot be done.

I describe myself as “radically on fire for Jesus in a non-evangelical sort of way”. Definitely a Christian, but not into Sunday morning church. I find there are too many distractions for me to actually worship God. I believe that since God created us as introverts or extraverts, He can certainly engage with us and reveal Himself to us in ways that make sense to us. I also believe we can feel free to worship in ways that fit our personality style, even if that means worshiping alone or with a small group, whenever or wherever. The bible says “Wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am in your midst.”

I’m happy to share my faith openly with anyone who asks, and freely share how it has helped me when I feel it’s appropriate. But I never ever force it on people. I would rather just plant seeds and water them for as long as they’re mine to water. Like Erin, I let my faith overflow (great word!) naturally into everything I do.

I love Yeshua and won’t criticize others that claim to have a relationship with Him, but fail to tell others about Him, which is the reason He saved us in the first place. To let others know there is hope and He is the only Savior that can bring hope, deliver and set free. If one has a true encounter with the true Living God, it’s impossible to deny Him.People can’t even suspect introversion unless we allow them into our space. I
consider myself introverted innately, but the Holy Spirit gives me
and empowers me to do what I would not naturally do.Boldness, courage, faith, hope and so forth. There are certain rules set by
church’s and churchgoers, but I only follow those of the kingdom, inspired by God and led by His Holy Spirit. So I am not considered traditional at all, but

I consider myself very spiritual non religious a person. I’m also very introverted. I’ve just published a book which in parts deal with this, in that it can be very difficult to describe verbally to others seeing as instant recall of appropriate words in a world populated largely with people with a 3 second attention span and I can never get it out in a hurry eloquently enough. I’ve long since stopped wondering if people think I’m strange or weird and just settled for if that’s the case I take it as a compliment!

Yup. I love Jesus. Have been faithfully following him for almost 9 years after searching for meaning in my life for 42 years. It’s because of this relationship that I am finally learning to love myself as he created me instead of painfully jumping through hoops to get people to love me. I’ve always been misunderstood, but God knows me and accepts me and that’s good enough for me.

Yes, I am a very spiritual introvert.
I would not consider myself New Age or traditional..neither. I am a Christian…I believe in having a personal relationship with Jesus. I don’t think I can be “boxed in”.
It can be difficult to share my spiritual side. It just depends on the situation. I am definitely not one of those people who is very loud about it (in an Extrovert way). For me, it is more like the way that I live out my life for others to see.

I don’t consider mysfelf spiritual (at least not in the belief section) but I’m christian. I guess that “protestantism” can make a very close idea. I’m definetely not New Age. I guess I’m the exception.

I think that having a spiritual perspective can provide a window into understanding new concepts and ideas that will eventually be accepted by the “mainstream”, when the scientific body of knowledge catches up. For this reason, I think that people sometimes too quickly associate spirituality with the super natural, when they are in fact two different concepts.

I’d consider myself a spiritual person, I do seek a deeper meaning to the things and events around me, and have a lot of sensitivity for right and wrong. Even though I did not practice any type of organized religion when I was growing up, I feel like I’ve made some of my best life decisions by putting my hands together and believing that there is a power greater than me out there, who I can communicate with for guidance. Whatever the truth is, this has helped me a lot, especially in dealing with things that are outside of my control, for example in dealing with other peoples’ attitudes and behaviour towards me.

Yes I am spiritual. Time alone I pray. I pray when I feel the need to, in my car, out loud or only in my mind. Does not matter where I am. I no longer have anytime to meditate. Soon I will have more time in my own sanctuary (a home), in my own little garden…. I feel even more connected when I am around nature or animals.

Meditating in your own private garden sounds wonderful, Kimberly. I meditate for at least 5 mins every morning soon after I wake up. I’ve found this is the only way I can do it consistently without making it excuses.

I grew up following the Christian faith. Now my beliefs are more of a mix of Transcendentalism and Zen Buddhism. Christianity is a very extroverted faith that I’ve grown more uncomfortable with as time goes by.

Yes, Christianity, has become quite exuberant, favoring very extroverted personalities (to varying degrees depending on the denomination). I don’t know much about Transcendentalism. Something to research!

Reading this blog and some of the comments makes me feel like maybe I do belong in this world… I consider myself a spiritual introvert. While I do attend a church, I refuse to label myself with a religion, as I think wisdom can be found in all religions. On the flip side, so can dogma, control and irrational behavior. I rarely engage in conversations about religion because most people who want to talk about it are trying to convince everyone else to believe what they believe. I find God in the quiet breaths of a chaotic world.

Hmm… I’ve been a Christian since I was three and have always intuitively known that there was something infinite and all-loving out there that created everything. I’ve always been very sensitive to how messed up the world is as well. One example I can think of is sports; I would be one of the toughest players out there, but I get upset beside myself upset when some one gets hurt or someone steps on a butterfly. Also, I do lean a little more liberal and new age than most other people I meet as death doesn’t scare me, I know where my victory is; but being surrounded by a bunch of talkative ESTJ’s at church or somewhere else drives me into quick seclusion. Also, I find it immensely difficult to live in a country where anything spiritual is considered taboo, observation is considered sloth, and not having a myriad amount of friends is considered wrong.

I believe that religion should be the practice of the spirit. In other words once we know the way of the spirit we practice the way the more we practice the more we BECOME . That’s what I think a spiritual person is one who practice the way of the spirit intentionally. Yes I am spiritual.

He made many statements that help me to be thankful for being an introvert. The kingdom of God is within you, don’t do your acts of kindness to be seen by others, don’t worry about what men think of you, pray in your closet, remove the beam from your own eye,..

Love your neighbor as yourself, hmmm. now that continues to take a lot of time to think about how to pull that one off consistently.

I follow Jesus, but I have very different ideas about who he was, what he taught and what his purpose was to most Christians. I would call myself a Gnostic Christian. I reject the teachings of Paul and the Old Testament, and even the Gospel of Matthew! Modern Christianity is really a hybrid of older religions and value systems, and you have to work hard to find the core that is Jesus’ true teachings. I am still searching.

I am into various mental, though not spiritual, practices such as intuition training, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, hypnosis and that sort of thing. There is also an intuitive element to the martial art I practice. Some might consider this spiritual but I don’t. People naturally go in and out of trance all the time.

Oh yes I am definitely very spiritual. Mostly a new ager I guess. I have struggled to share my beliefs with people because so few people have been accepting of them. Even when I was among spiritual groups where I could talk more freely, I got very disillusioned when I saw that the people I had looked up to were full of ego, money orientated and not always honest. It was a very great disappointment and I have tended to stay away from groups since that those experiences. I have kept my beliefs quiet for a long time because I had christian friends and family who did not/ would not approve. I am beginning to start to reveal myself lately… because you know what? If they can’t handle my beliefs then they are really not my friends, and if my family think I am in league with the devil, well that is their issue. It has been hard not being able to be who I am, especially when honesty and integrity is so important to me. Hiding myself away does seem dishonest, but it has been necessary. Friends and family could not even accept me for who I am. (a kind, gentle, sensitive introvert who needs much time out) I kept being told I was bad for who I was, how could I let them know I had such out there beliefs? Now thanks to these awesome introvert websites and fb pages I have learnt to accept and love who I am. First time ever.

I’m a progressive, contemplative Christian, formerly a monk-ette in a Fransiscan hermitage, where our vows included “substantial silence and solitude.” An extreme introvert (INFJ), even there I found the community aspects to often be draining. Now I live as a hermit, but receive Eucharist once a month and serve as a spiritual director to mature Christian women of several denominations. I live simply, practice vipassana meditation daily, keep silence (Blessed Silence!) from 10PM to 10 AM, contemplate scripture, and lead a book club for spiritual seekers that meets mostly online. I’m also a clicktivist for peace and social justice issues. My best friends are an atheist and a Buddhist. I won’t let the church come between me and Jesus again.

I grew up with the worldview of Christianity. I went to a private christian school till graduation and churches throughout my life. Yet the black and white belief system crumbled under the weight of the complexity of life that I could not ignore. I have gone on a long journey try to better understand my spiritual experience in a bigger universal sense. I guess I would call myself a mystic which I simply see as focused on the experience and not so much trying to be too conclusive or narrow it down to one belief system. I really love reading many types of spiritual books and I feel that all religions have that basic underling experience of the Divine which was key for me.

My parents were Welsh – the Welsh people are often considered very spiritual. We were not religious, but our family was comfortable with the spiritual side of life. I’m struggling to explain something that has always been so normal to me. Personally, I’ve experienced our Mother’s presence numerous times since she passed 40 years ago. We were raised to be tolerant and accepting of all nationalities, religions and beliefs. In a nutshell, I am spiritual and believe in the bigger picture of this thing we call life.

He has written a lot along these lines, creating a vision of organic rather than institutional church.

There is an old saying that is worth remembering as with sadness I notice lots of folk ditching church for something ‘deeper’… ‘Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater’

Church is an extension of God, who is a perfect community of Father, Son and Spirit, each with their differences but totally at one. The Church is just an extension of himself. Christians are just his children – brothers and sisters gathering together to remember his love for us and to celebrate it, and determined to live out his love day to day with others, even those we are not ‘comfortable’ with, and to create a ‘heaven on earth’. A great place to be!

But I can hear you replying with many examples of the way Church is not perfect. Well of course it’s not. But it’s a whole lot less perfect without you!

So come on INFJ’s or whoever you were created to be… give Church another look. Help pump out some dirty bathwater and let’s see the baby!

Although I have lost faith in religion, I would consider myself somewhat spiritual. Being part Native American, I have a very strong connection to nature and my heritage-even though I don’t follow my ancestors’ religious pathway. I have no definite roof, so I can’t disprove ‘God’,but consequently, there is no definite proof ‘God’ is real so I generally abstain from picking a side. ( I really don’t trust religious texts that were written by middle aged men centuries ago.) There are times where I’ll pray, of course;however, I still wonder whether those prayers were ever heard or if God is just deaf. Garth Brooks once sang ” some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers”,so maybe I’m just not looking at the big picture. That,or I may not be praying to the right deity-who knows? I’m not saying that I do or do not believe in God or whatever deity, but I can’t exactly say I do…

I am a Christian and I attend a baptist church. I love getting to church early. I find that if I do that and the other people after me. This way I can have peace. If I arrive late I am a total mess. I do not like getting there after the other people, it takes me a long time to settle down and prepare myself to worship. One thing I absolutely hate is the trend to contemporary music. It is too loud. It makes my ears hurt and I feel like I am being forced to act like an extrovert.
I wonder if others have similar experiences.

Like many of you who have already responded, I consider myself to be a follower of Jesus. I grew up in the Southern Baptist tradition and was part of an evangelistic ballet company for a couple of years before my beliefs slowly evolved into what they are at the present time.
I deeply appreciated hearing from the responders to this article express the ways that their experiences and relationships have shaped their spirituality and vice versa! Since I am an INFJ and a highly sensitive empath, I can have trouble explaining my beliefs to others in a way that is satisfactory to me. There are too many connections and experiences tied to my views of “systematic theology” to explain them in only a few words. Grace, respect, relationships and social justice are extremely important to me, and I tend to see those things differently from those in more traditionally evangelistic circles. Like many of you have already beautifully expressed, I’ve found meaning, comfort, and healing from my faith-especially from the Bible (as words are incomparably soothing and important to me) and from expressing my doubts, fears, and joy through dance and writing which I consider to be my way of worshiping.

Yes I’m a spiritual introvert. I think we should be able to exchange our ideas without trying to dominate over one another. I think through interchange we synergize. I think it is extremely important to talk about who,what, where, why, how we are spiritually speaking. It is very difficult to reach our full spiritual potential if we do not synergize. I come from the school that we are all connected we just don’t realize it. We as introverts have a deep connection with our inner selves and we need to be able to communicate that. As a spiritual person it is easy for me to speak to other spiritual people and try to awaken those who are sleep walking with a gentle nudge to see the connection that we have and strengthen our connection with the source and each other. That’s where communication comes in we can help each other to awaken to deeper consciousness of our connection .

I am a traditional spiritual introvert. I was raised and am a practicing Catholic. I don’t share that with many people as I feel religion or spirituality is very personal and wouldn’t want anyone to feel as if I’m trying to convert them. However, I do not deny my religion or my belief in God. It’s vital to my existence as my faith has seen me thru many trying times as well as blessed me with just as many happy times. I pray throughout the day, never forgetting about the blessings bestowed upon me as well. Being Catholic, I know a lot of wordy prayers but I often just speak to God as if he were sitting next to me enjoying a cup of Starbucks coffee with me, or I find songs that make me feel a deep connection with Him. I also write poetry and that is when I can truly express my feelings and emotions because being an introvert I struggle with verbal communication. Spirituality is different for everyone and I respect that in each person I meet. God is my best friend and though sometimes I question my faith, deep down I know He is real.

I am more spiritual than I’ve ever been, and more closed about it than ever. There is much about religion that I dislike and most of all, I refuse to discuss what I believe. I’m more in tune with how you described your spirituality, Michaela. Also, I feel offended when, for example, I receive an email from someone expressing their beliefs followed by “Send this letter to eighteen people. If you ignore Jesus, He’ll ignore you.” This is an example of an actual email I’ve received a number of times! So, I’ve turned inward and I’m content with that. I won’t put my precious beliefs out there for people to judge because my spirituality has become a great source of comfort for me.

I am a born-again Christian; I gave my life to Christ in the year 2012, it is the best decision I have ever made.Using a daily devotion called Rhapsody of Realities has helped me to know about my inheritance in Christ. The life in Christ is a life of freedom, not what the religious people tell you. You are free to be whatever you want to be.

Thanks for such a beautiful article author.
Actually i’m a spiritual Introvert. I spend my time reading articles, listening songs, meditating.
But it fills hard to adjust myself on the crowd. So i would love to spend time alone.